CAA Baseball Report | Mar. 21
CAA Baseball Report | Mar. 21
Catch up on the CAA Baseball weekly news, notes, and awards.
CAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sam Cochrane | OF | Charleston
Gr. - Ocala, Fla./Belleview
Cochrane batted .643 (9-14) with two doubles, a triple, a homer and four RBI’s in Charleston’s 3-1 week that included an 8-4 victory over #2 Texas and a series win over East Carolina. The outfielder recorded multiple hits, scored a run and drove in a run in all four games. He tallied an RBI triple vs. Texas and went 3-for-4 and doubled twice in Sunday’s series-clinching triumph over ECU.
CAA PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Wyatt Nelson | RHP | Delaware
So. - Wilmington, Del./Wilmington Friends
Nelson went 1-0 and allowed just two hits over 8.2 scoreless innings in two appearances last week. The right-hander came on in relief and didn’t allow a hit over 3.2 frames as Delaware rallied past #24 Maryland, 6-3. He got the start vs. Monmouth on Sunday and gave up just two singles over 5.0 innings to earn his first victory of the season in a 10-1 win.
CAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
RJ Sales | RHP | UNCW
Fr. - Pinehurst, N.C./Pinecrest
Sales turned in a dominant performance to record his first collegiate win as UNCW blanked Ohio State, 2-0, last Saturday. The right-hander gave up just a pair of singles over 6.2 shutout innings and struck out four. Sales allowed only three runners to get into scoring position and one got past second as he evened his record at 1-1.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
WHAT A WEEK: It was an outstanding week for CAA baseball as all nine league teams had a winnng record and posted a combined 28-10 (.737) mark. Last Tuesday, Charleston knocked off #2 Texas, 8-4, Delaware beat #24 Maryland, 6-3, and James Madison topped Virginia Tech, 5-2.
CONFERENCE PLAY STARTS FRIDAY: Conference play in the CAA gets started on Friday with four three-game series. Preseason favorite Northeastern visits Charleston, Delaware hosts James Madison, UNCW heads to William & Mary and Elon entertains Hofstra.
CAMPER HONORED BY COLLEGIATE BASEBALL: Towson catcher Burke Camper was one of 10 national Player of the Week honorees from Collegiate Baseball after smacking five homers and driving in 10 runs last week. He batted .545 (6-11) over four games.
CHARLESTON (12-8, 0-0 CAA): The Cougars knocked off #2 Texas (8-4) and took a weekend series from perennial power East Carolina. The win over the Horns was the 8th against a Top 10 foe in program history. JT Marr smacked a first-inning grand slam against UT to give Charleston the lead for good. Sam Cochrane had multiple hits in all four games and batted .643 (9-14) with four RBI’s for the week. Luke Wood went 3-for-4 and drove in four in Sunday’s 10-3 victory over ECU. Closer William Privette didn’t allow an earned run and struck out seven in 4.2 innings last week. He fanned five in 2.0 innings to get the save against Texas. Preston Hall hit a three-run homer as part of a 4-3 triumph over ECU on Saturday. CofC is at Georgia Southern before hosting Northeastern this weekend.
DELAWARE (9-8, 0-0 CAA): The Blue Hens rallied past #24 Maryland (6-3) and then won a weekend series from future CAA member Monmouth. Wyatt Nelson threw 3.2 shutout innings of relief vs. Maryland and then blanked Monmouth for 5.0 frames to get his first win on Sunday. Jake Dunion batted .375 (6-16) with six runs scored and five RBI’s and is hitting .375 for the year. Joey Loynd and Jordan Hutchins both homered and drove in two in the Maryland win. Loynd was also 3-for-4 with a homer on Sunday vs. Monmouth. Joseph Carpenter contributed seven hits in the Monmouth series. Delaware concludes a three-week homestand this week against Georgetown and JMU.
ELON (11-8, 0-0 CAA): The Phoenix had a 3-2 week, finalizing a sweep of UNCG and taking a series from Patriot League favorite Army. Alex Iadisernia batted .357 (7-19) for the week with three homers and 10 RBI’s. He drove in four in a 10-4 win over UNCG and homered twice in Friday’s 7-3 triumph against Army. Brian Edgington moved to 3-0 after limiting Army to an unearned run over 7.0 innings and fanning 11. He has 41 K’s in 30.2 innings for the season. Luke Stephenson had a hit in all five games last week and is batting .306 for the year. Ian Evans kept #29 NC State to two runs over 5.0 innings, but took the loss in a 2-1 setback. Elon is at East Carolina on Wednesday before hosting Hofstra
HOFSTRA (8-6, 0-0 CAA): The Pride defeated Manhattan (3-1) and split games with Merrimack last weekend. Hofstra set season-highs for hits (16) and runs in a 14-5 win over Merrimack on Sunday as Santino Rosso was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and Anthony D’Onofrio belted his first homer since 2019. Kevin Bruggeman went 5-for-9 and drove in five in the two victories. Brad Camarda improved to 3-0 on Sunday after retiring 15 of his first 16 batters and not allowing a hit until the sixth. Mark Faello held Manhattan to an unearned run on four hits over 6.2 innings. Brian Morrell was 3-for-5 on Sunday, raising his season average to .429. The Pride is on the road at St. John’s and Elon this week.
JAMES MADISON (11-9, 0-0 CAA): The Dukes had a strong 3-1 week, beating Virginia Tech (5-2) at home for the first time since 2007 before winning two-of-three at Winthrop. Ryan Murphy held VT to two runs over the first 6.0 innings and Eli Ottinger blanked the Hokies over the final three to earn a save. Ottinger followed with 4.0 hitless frames at WU to pick up the win on Saturday and has yet to allow an earned run in 12 innings this season. Kyle Novak batted .533 (8-15) for the week with a homer and six RBI’s. Chase DeLauter was 5-for-10 in the Winthrop series, raising his batting averge to .440 for the year. Fenwick Trimble’s 2-run single in the 11th gave JMU a 10-8 win at WU on Sunday. The Dukes host Stetson before visiting Delaware in their CAA opener.
UNCW (12-7, 0-0 CAA): The Seahawks took three-of-four from Big Ten foe Ohio State, improving to 11-4 at Brooks Field. Freshmen hurlers closed out the series as RJ Sales held OSU to two hits over 6.2 innings in a 2-0 win on Saturday and Cyle Phelan followed on Sunday by giving up one run on three hits over 6.2 frames in a 7-2 triumph. Trevor Marsh batted .556 (5-9) and drove in five in the series, including a grand slam in Thursday’s win. Brooks Baldwin had a hit in all four games and is batting .380 for the year. UNCW had 13 extra base hits in the series, including nine doubles. The Seahawks entertain rival East Carolina on Tuesday night before starting CAA action at William & Mary on Friday.
NORTHEASTERN (12-7-1, 0-0 CAA): The Huskies put together a 5-0 week, beating Bryant, Merrimack, Holy Cross and Brown. NU’s pitching staff, which ranks 16th nationally with a 3.05 ERA, allowed just four runs in the five games. Eric Yost fired 6.0 shutout innings in a 1-0 victory over Bryant, while Sebastian Keane threw 6.0 scoreless frames in a 10-0 win over Holy Cross. Wyatt Scotti is tied for the national lead in wins with a 5-0 mark after giving up two runs in 8.0 innings at Brown. Offensively, Jeff Costello batted .368 (7-19) for the week with three doubles, two triples, a homer and six RBI’s, while freshman Mike Sirota hit .412 (7-17) with two doubles and a homer, pushing his batting average to .380. NU hosts Boston College before traveling to Charleston for a three-game series.
TOWSON (7-13, 0-0 CAA): The Tigers went 3-2, beating Niagara, 15-2, and splitting a four-game series with Princeton. Catcher Burke Camper had a huge week at the plate, batting .545 (6-11) with five homers, seven runs scored and 10 RBI’s. He went deep twice on Friday and Saturday vs. Princeton and leads the CAA with 7 HR’s for the year. James Moses had six hits and six RBI’s for the week and raised his team-best batting average to .324. Elijah Dickerson was 7-for-14 (.500) in the Princeton series. Closer Jake Pecilunas recorded two saves in the Princeton series, giving up three hits over 3.0 scoreless innings. Towson is at #10 Virginia and Richmond this week before hosting UMass for a weekend series.
WILLIAM & MARY (8-9, 0-0 CAA): The Tribe swept a three-game weekend series from George Mason to stop a six-game slide. Casey Green gave up just two hits over a season-high 7.0 shutout innings in a 2-1 extra-inning victory on Saturday, lowering his ERA to 1.47. David Hogarth drove in the game-winning run in the 11th and had a pair of RBI’s in Friday’s victory. Mike Weidinger didn’t allow a hit in 3.0 scoreless frames to get the win over Mason on Friday and has 17 K’s in 12.1 innings. W&M rallied for six runs in the 9th to win 9-5 on Sunday. Cole Ragone and Ben Williamson had four hits apiece. W&M visits Duke on Tuesday before opening CAA play at home vs. UNCW.